First, there was former Houston Texans head coach and general manager Bill O’Brien. Not long after that came Atlanta Falcons head coach Dan Quinn.
While those two certainly were (and should have been) among the coaches who had their jobs called into question, they’re not alone.
Let’s take a look at five others, both head coaches and assistants, who could be on the hot seat after six weeks of the NFL’s 2020 season.
1. Adam Gase, New York Jets head coach
What is it going to take for the Jets to get rid of this guy? New York’s “offensive-minded” head coach currently leads an offense that’s last in points and 30th in yards. The Jets also just released running back Le’Veon Bell, arguably the team’s best offensive player, largely because Gase couldn’t figure out how to use him.
Gase now is 7-15 as head coach of the Jets since 2019, including a brutal 0-6 start this season.
2. Matt Patricia, Detroit Lions head coach
It seems Patricia saved his job for at least one week after a Week 6 win over the 1-5 Jacksonville Jaguars. The organization reportedly was ready to make a change if it went the other way.
We’ll go ahead and state the obvious: That doesn’t speak too highly about their confidence in him moving forward. And for good reason, the ex-New England Patriots assistant is 11-25 in two-plus seasons in Detroit and now leads a defensive which is outside the top-20 in both points and yards.
3. Mike Nolan, Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator
While the Cowboys’ offense certainly missed QB Dak Prescott, their defense continued to be historically bad, most recently on “Monday Night Football.” Dallas now is among only a handful of teams in NFL history to have allowed more than 218 points in their first six games (36.3 per game).
Nolan was brought on by head coach Mike McCarthy, and it didn’t take long for the move to be met with some questions. After all, Nolan’s most recent experience came with the 2014 Falcons when Atlanta finished last in yards allowed and 27th in points allowed per game. Not exactly a high-profile hire.
Now, the Cowboys have allowed 14 passing touchdowns and 10 rushing touchdowns in just six games. The last team to do that, you ask? Nolan’s San Francisco 49ers in 2005, according to NFL Network’s Bobby Belt.
4. Mike Zimmer, Minnesota Vikings head coach
Zimmer and the 1-5 Vikings are fresh off an embarrassing loss to the previously defeated Falcons, allowing Minnesota to score a season-high 40 points Sunday.
The Vikings are second to last in points allowed and 28th in yards allowed, largely due to a rebuilding secondary who has allowed 14 passing touchdowns in six games. Unfortunately for Zimmer, Minnesota now gears up for the Green Bay Packers coming off a loss.
5. Gregg Williams, New York Jets defensive coordinator
The Jets continue to be a dumpster fire, and nothing depicts that better than Williams calling out Gase’s offense prior to their Week 6 shutout loss to the Miami Dolphins.
Williams blamed some of the team’s defensive struggles on its offense, and Gase didn’t seem all too thrilled. After watching the Jets get shutout by Miami, all while intercepting two passes to win the turnovers battle, Williams may have a point. Either way, we can’t see the pair remaining for much longer, and it could be Williams who is the one on the way out.
